Will Sachin Tendulkar shine at the Wankhede?

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The end might for the visitors come sooner than expected. Given how the West Indies batting crashed at the Eden Gardens, it seems highly unlikely that Sachin Tendulkar's 200th and final Test, between November 14 and 18, will last its full length. With it will end Tendulkar's bittersweet relationship in Tests with his home ground, the Wankhede Stadium.

He had already played 23 Tests before he got his first chance to play on his home turf. It was the third Test of the series in 1993 against Graham Gooch's England. He had hit a 165 in the previous Test in Chennai.

But it was his schoolmate Vinod Kambli who stole the show with a 224. Tendulkar's contribution was a 78 and the 194-run partnership he shared for the third wicket with Kambli - a reminder of their famed association during their school days. One would have thought that this was the start of a great on-field relationship but as Tendulkar took the elevator, Kambli tripped on the slippery stairs to fame.

In November 1994, Tendulkar faced the West Indies on what, Wisden described, was an "underprepared horror". It was the era of India's spin trio: Anil Kumble, Rajesh Chauhan and Venkatpathy Raju. India gained a slender 29-run lead but at the end of Day Two, they had been reduced to 11 for three.

As luck would have it, a wet wicket ensured that the game didn't start for 45 minutes in the morning. The wicket settled down and Tendulkar batted for nearly three hours, hitting 10 boundaries and a six en-route his 85. With Sanjay Manjrekar, he added 74 for the sixth wicket. In the end, the Windies lost by 96 runs.

He notched up his only Test ton at the Wankhede in December 1997 against Sri Lanka in his 58th game during which he also achieved the landmark of 4,000 Test runs.

But probably his biggest heartbreak at home came at the start of the new millennium, February 2000, against South Africa. He was up against Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis and Lance Klusener. He was fighting a lone battle after Wasim Jaffer, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman had been dismissed early.

Kallis was cover driven, and Donald whipped - clearly he looked a class apart. But as a century looked inevitable, Tendulkar edged Kallis to the keeper. As India tumbled to 113 in the second innings, Tendulkar could only manage eight. India lost the Test by four wickets.

More heartbreaks were store the next time Tendulkar stepped into the Wankhede for a Test - February 2001 against Australia. Against the all-conquering Steve Waugh-led side, Tendulkar waged a solitary battle in both innings - 76 and 65 - as India lost by 10 wickets. He, however, was on the winning side against the same opponents in 2004 but the real winner was the bad pitch.

But the unthinkable happened against England in March 2006. Sachin Tendulkar was booed. Yes. It was troubled times for Indian cricket, with the nation involved in the Chappell-Ganguly-Dravid drama. As India stared at a loss and Tendulkar edged Shaun Udal to Ian Bell at short-leg, the shameful incident happened. It was only for a moment but nobody could have missed it.

Never before and never again has such a dark episode happened in his career. More traumas were in store for the maestro in the last two Tests he played here.

In 2011, he was dismissed on 94 by Ravi Rampaul as he chased his elusive 100th hundred. His last outing ended in a disaster, as England's left-arm spinner Monty Panesar claimed his wicket in both the innings. He managed identical scores of eight. The twin dismissals stared the debate about his slowing reflexes and feet movement.

Tendulkar has a maximum of two more innings at the Wankhede where he finally lifted the World cup in 2011. Will it be a sweet end this time?


Sachin Tendulkar More Stills


Keywords: Eden Gardens, Sachin Tendulkar, Wankhede Stadium, Graham Gooch, schoolmate Vinod Kambli , Anil Kumble, Rajesh Chauhan , Venkatpathy Raju, Sanjay Manjrekar, Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis , Lance Klusener, Wasim Jaffer, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly ,VVS Laxman ,Indian cricket, Dravid drama, Shaun Udal, Ravi Rampaul, World cup,cricket news,sports news